This invention relates to an apparatus for continuously accumulating a travelling steel strip or wire like material to be processed, and more particularly to an apparatus for causing the steel strip or wire-like material to move at a predetermined speed and yet be present in a processing space for a predetermined time.
In a processing line, for example, for a treatment such as annealing or diffusion coating of a steel strip or wire like processed material (hereinafter merely referred to as processed material), the requirements are entirely different from a conventional looping unit having dam function in which the processed material is stored or delivered for coiling, in that the processed material travels constantly at the predetermined line speed at the incoming side and outgoing side of the processing apparatus in which it is to be continuously processed.
For example, in case of the continuous annealing process in a continuous annealing installation, and a continuous galvanizing installation for steel strip, the time the steel strip is treated must be controlled with respect to the processing and the time according to the manufacturing specifications. For example, in case of the continuous annealing, the temperature and time relation is controlled. Accordingly, as the line speed of the steel strip is increased, the length of the continuous processing apparatus, for example, the continuous annealing furnace becomes great and the space and amount of investment required for the installation become enormous.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional continuous annealing furnace, in which in order to shorten the length of the furnace 1, a large number of vertically spaced rolls 2 are arranged along the length of the furnace 1, and the strip S is wound thereon. Even in this type of furnace where the length of the furnace is shortened, for example, it requires a length of 85 meters if the strip S is designed to be processed in the furnace for 5 minutes at a traveling speed of 150 m/min.